The invention relates generally to welding helmets, and more particularly to arrangements for controlling the influx of air into a welding helmet.
Welding can be a heat intensive process, especially during the summer months in outdoor locations or in plants without air conditioning or good air circulation. Furthermore, welding environments contribute fumes and particulates to the locations in which welding is performed. While some industrial standards exist that require powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) systems, such standards may not apply to all situations in which improved air circulation may be desirable for operator comfort, particularly over extended periods of work. Moreover, when not required, PAPR systems represent a relatively costly approach to ventilation and cooling.
Certain relatively lower cost, lightweight airflow systems have been proposed that can be mounted to the welding helmet, and that offer a promising solution to this problem. However, these systems are often less than satisfactory, in particular due to the potential for entrainment of surrounding air from the welding environment into the welding helmet. Therefore, there exists a need for improvements in such systems that prohibit outside air from degrading the air quality in the helmet.